Orion's Belt
by GloveCompartment
Summary: One day, you'll look up at the night sky and smile. And someone else will do the same thing, thinking of you. Squall and Zell.
1. Restlessness

****

Orion's Belt

Like so many nights before, Squall laid on his bed, alone. The moon's light shone through his window and carefully selected just the rights spots to illuminate in order to create that quiet mood that Squall has grown to love. Since the defeat of the sorceress, Squall has been able to rest and the moon was the only companion at night for him. 

Squall turned on his side and gripped his old plush teddy bear. He could smell that old, distinctive teddy bear smell that only time has been able to fashion right. This was what "Sis" gave to him in the orphanage long ago. His link to the past and his guiding hand to the future, that teddy bear meant a lot to Squall. 

It was a cool and breezy night tonight. Squall lazily kicked away his covers to reveal his lightly tanned, mostly pale skin underneath. The handsome brunette was restless this evening and could not fall to sleep. Too many things were on his mind, too much stuff to untangle, mentally. 

Squall got up and walked to the window. The gentle breeze caressed his face and left just as quickly as it came. He inhaled deep and could smell the coming autumn. Soon, the lush green leaves that were on the ancient trees would go away and the whole world would seem to be engulfed in flames, replaced by the reds and oranges, and yellows of the autumn leaves.

Looking up, Squall tried to find an acquaintance in the stars tonight. There, he spotted the bear, Leo the lion, and Squall's favorite, Orion the hunter. Orion shone especially bright tonight, as if to tell Squall something. Squall greatly admired the hunter because he stood up high in the heavens with his bow always ready to attack. Never resting. Squall gripped his ring, The Griever, tightly and said to himself, "No matter where in life you are, the only one you can trust is yourself."

The trees rustled seeming to discuss what he had said to themselves. Hushed voices and muffled giggles. They seemed to agree and disagree with themselves, and him. 

It was obvious that he was not going to get any sleep tonight. There was no use going back to bed. 

Squall decided to go to Balamb and visit the local bar. It was a short walk from where the Garden is now stationed, in its original spot before it gained locomotive ability. Squall changed into his usual attire, mostly black. 

The Garden looked quite different at night. The hallways were light dimly with scattered lights too far apart. The special hallways that opened up to the sky above were especially beautiful. During the day, these passages were filled with young cadets and trainees that are striving to be something better. At night, these passages were empty, devoid of all their warmth, but possessing a different kind of beauty. The beauty of silence. 

Squall decided to walk the distance. It would be good exercise, he thought.

As he emerged from the Garden, just a short walk out, Squall noticed a interesting battle take place in the mountains above the Garden. Just about where Squall and Seifer fought at that very famous duel that earned Squall and Seifer their respected scars. Squall walked slowly up to the arena to invistigate. 


	2. The Battle

A continuation of the story. Yay. 

--------------------

Climbing the way up was no easy task. The area was high and mostly well covered so that no one from the Garden could easily see what was going on up here. Squall thought that only him and Seifer knew about the area. It seems that someone else was up here too.

Squall easily scaled the heights and arrived at the infamous place that seemed to start everything. What Squall saw there was beyond what he wanted to comprehend. This battle was intense. What really shocked Squall was that it was between Seifer and a blue dragon.

The blue dragon was on its hind legs and roaring with a rage that can only be provoked by Seifer and his carelessness. It was obvious that the blue dragon was not a nocturnal creature and that it liked to sleep during the night. Seifer might have been bored and woke the beast for a thrill.

Squall took his place away from Seifer's line of sight and watched silently the battle that was taking place. Seifer was clearly having trouble with this particular blue dragon. The two of them were standing opposite each other and each was ready to initiate the first move. Seifer had his gun-blade ready and the blue dragon had its eyes on the intruder. 

Seifer committed the first move by running forwards and slashing it with his gun-blade. Unfortunately, the blue dragon's hide is very thick, so that did little damage. As a final attempt, Seifer pulled the trigger on the gun-blade and the bullet managed to find its way inside the blue dragon. There was a yell of pain and agony as the blue dragon felt the bullet go deeper. Fortunately for the dragon, it was only a flesh wound and did not hinder its counter attack. 

The blue dragon took a mighty swipe at Seifer and caught him on the left shoulder. Seifer's shoulder began to bleed a bright red and no doubt the bones within were broken. Seifer was at a disadvantage now and could not adequately use his gun-blade anymore. Just like last time, Seifer prepared to his magic against this monster.

Squall watched with interest. His rival was doing quite well against a blue dragon that was many times stronger than his rival was. Squall did feel a little bit of anger as Seifer again tried to use magics to win his battles but that feeling was soon washed away. Seifer was too majestic on the field to get angry over. 

Seifer raised his good right hand and shot out a Thundaga spell at the dragon. The nasty shock did little to the blue dragon. The dragon's hide was just too thick to be penetrated. Quickly, Seifer ran through his list of magics and tried to choose the correct one to win this battle. 

Seifer again raised his right hand and casted Meltdown, which would tenderize the dragon's hide and make it easier to damage it. Apparently it worked because the blue dragon is now keeping its distance away from Seifer. It slithered and moved around the blond warrior. As the final blow, Seifer used all his energy to cast Flare four times over. The blue dragon was now dead and Seifer fell to the ground unconscious. 

Squall sported a little smirk on his pale face as he watched the blue dragon fall to the ground into a heap of flesh and bones, apparently smoking from the Flares that were casted onto it.

__

It wouldn't be nice to just leave him laying here all by himself, especially at night, thought Squall. _What would he do if he were in my place?_

The battle in Squall's head was just as fierce as the battle that just took place. However, Squall's good side won out and he stepped off the rock he had just been sitting on.


	3. The Coming Dawn

Thanks guys, for review and encouraging this piece. I am trying to stay true to the personality of each character and I'm having a little trouble. I dunno. I don't want to make Squall too warm and loving and yet, this story requires some warmth and love anyway. You know? Squall acts cool sometimes. Although, I doubt Squall is immature enough to do anything to Seifer, like kick Seifer's unconscious body for some revenge or something. Squall's calm and collective. Like a real grown up that doesn't really care about anyone. Not exactly selfish, but…kind of nonsocial. He is a great leader, no doubt. He can find the right words to say anything. I haven't had a speaking part for Seifer yet. But I'm working on his personality. 

…Or maybe I'm just thinking way tooooo hard.

Note* The italics are Squall's thoughts, if you have not noticed.

Thanks guys!

--------------------

Squall stepped over the remains of the once fearsome blue dragon, the flesh still smoking from the Flares that were casted on it. Squall examined the beast and noted that he should return later to collect the skin some Fury and Star fragments and a fang or two for some new weapon modifications. The dealer in Balamb is experimenting with some new weapons and Squall was eager to help. Who could say no to stronger weapons?

After the examination of the dragon, Squall moved on to the other fearsome beast, Seifer. His body laid almost lifeless on the cold hard rock below. After some checks to make sure Seifer was indeed alive, Squall picked up the unconscious body and began to carry Seifer down the ledge. Although this sounds difficult, Squall's training provided all the experience to do so. SeeD's get training in almost anything, including when your stupid comrade gets knocked unconscious after casting a couple of Flares because he provoked a stupid dragon. 

_Note to self, Kill Seifer after he regains consciousness._

After a few rigorous minutes climbing down, Squall was glad to be standing on solid and level ground. It was going to be a long walk to the Garden so Squall decided to attempt some first aid. Squall placed the unconscious body on the ground, conjured up a Life spell, and aimed it at Seifer. A dash of red sparks swirled around the body lifting it off the ground. After a while, the spell ended and the body was placed a little roughly on the ground, no doubt Squall's fault.

A little color returned to Seifer's face and his chest showed slowed breathing. _I guess this is better than nothing,_ thought Squall.

Squall debated whether or not to cast a Full-Life spell. _There would be no use. The last thing I want is a conscious Seifer fighting me when I'm trying to help him._

The little Life spell was enough to ensure that Seifer would last the trip to the Garden. No need to fix what ain't broke, right? Er, no need to fix what…um…_Whatever._

The Garden slowly loomed into view. It was returned to Balamb and that is where it will stay. Squall even had a vote and everyone wanted it that way. Squall could care nontheless. 

Squall entered the Garden and proceded to the medical wing at once. When he was going through the gates and doors, Squall was careful enough not to bump Seifer's head into anything…hard. However, some objects were unavoidable. Totally not his fault at all, right?

Dr. Kadowaki was not in the medic wing. Most of the staff do not work at night because no one is up at night anyway. All of the SeeD's are in bed. _Or at least most of the SeeD's are reasonable to not fight a dragon in the middle of the night._

Squall placed the unconscious, yet warm, body of Seifer on the farthest bed from the door. It was almost peaceful to see Seifer sleeping on the bed. He looked so innocent. _…Whatever…_ Like Seifer would never hurt a fly. _…but he'll beat the crap out of a dragon…_

Beside the table lay a diagnostic pad. Squall picked up the pad and began a scan of Seifer. The bedsides opened up and a long thin metallic arm sprang up and began to emit a organe light on Seifer's body. The pad showed signs of damage and injury. _Looks like he's going to feel a heck of a lot in the morning. No new scars, though._

"Should I administer any treatment to the patient or is he okay for the morning?" Squall asked the diagnostic pad. Almost a minute later, as if the computer was thinking long and hard, the pad showed the letters _Condition Green_ in…well…green letters. 

_It's almost dawn. No point in going to bed._ Squall looked down onto the bed where the arm had retracted after it had placed two electrodes on Seifer's head. Seifer was deep asleep. 

_Let's go get some hotdogs, I'm starving._


	4. The Debt Unpaid

Thanks guys for supporting me. I don't know, but this is the 3rd update in about a week or so. Thanks, Redrum, I can see a caring Squall. I made Seifer kind of arrogant but noble, true to his word, like a knight. You know, the Sorceress' Knight and all. I have no idea where I'm taking this. Every time I sit down to type this, my fingers just fly all over the place (on the keyboard of course…lol) And if you need instant action sequences, this is not the fic for you. Or you could just wait until the later chapters. Its not much of a story if they just meet and have sex, right? (Besides, that's what Riona is for…lol)

------------------------

The sun took its time coming over the horizon. Squall watched the sunrise while sipping his coffee in his office. Yea, he has a real office now. Since he was promoted (or demoted as he had often called it) to commander, leader, of the Garden there was little time to do anything.

Just sitting here felt like a sin almost. There was loads of paperwork to do and people to call. Squall felt guilty not starting them now. Those who start first finish first, that's what Cid used to say. _Well, fuck that, I want my damn sunrise and I want it served with coffee!_

And so he continued as the dark skies turned to a deep shade of purple, then blue. Then all of a sudden, the sky turned red, as if it were on fire. Then a golden yellow followed closely behind. Finally, the final color came to rest on the horizon: blue. This was going to be an interesting day. Squall felt it in his bones. 

Squall decided to pay a visit to Seifer. _He must be awake now, he has a job here at the Garden too._

Squall passed a bunch of students trying not to seek glances at the brunette. _What is up with these kids? I hope I wasn't like them._

"You weren't like them at all, don't worry, Squall." Someone said behind his back. Squall looked back and saw Quistis coming up to join him. She was carrying prized Save the Queen. It was simply the best whip out there and was hard to make. Squall had given her the Save the Queen during the Festival last year. Quistis has not parted from it since.

"Worry about what?" asked Squall.

"I saw your face. I knew exactly what you were thinking." 

"You don't know me at all, Quistis, don't even try it." Squall said.

"Where are you going?" Quistis was hoping that Squall was going somewhere she could follow. Quistis has been really…attentive…_like a dog that I just fed_…lately. Squall loved the crap out of Quistis. She was like his big sister. His instructor. His friend. But…_for the love of Gaia, go away!_

"I'm going to my quarters." Answered Squall.

"Ah, you know Squall, your quarters need a new décor. I could really make that place elegant. Just a dash of red and blue and this and that. What do you say, Squall?"

"Maybe another time. I'll call you when I need to spruce up my room." Squall was being subtle at saying _Fuck off._ But apparently…

Quistis thought for a second and said, "Maybe I should be getting back to my class." …_Finally._

Squall turned the corner and rounded into the Medical wing. Seifer was still on the bed farthest from the door, but his clothes were removed and replaced by a sterile medic suit. The ones that are like soft paper and that never manages to cover anything sufficiently. And that was the way Squall fantasized them on Seifer. But no one's supposed to know that. _Damn, that leaves nothing to the imagination…_

The diagnostic pad still read _Condition Green_. But the scene was much more different this morning. Seifer was awake. Seifer was barely awake. "What happened last night?"

"You almost died last night, that's what happened." Squall could barely contain his anger. He felt angry because Seifer could have gotten hurt. What if no one saw Seifer outside last night? Siefer would still be up there on that ledge. Then what? "What do you remember from last night?"

"Not much. I remember that I fought a dragon. And that I won. But that's all. I fell after the dragon fell. Black." Seifer was talking slowly as if the memories could not resurface without energy to make them. "You brought me down from the ledge and here?"

Seifer hoped Squall had said "No" and that someone else did. 

"Yea. I saved your ass last night." Squall answered and totally made Seifer scrowl.

"Well, you didn't have to."

"And the other dragons would have consumed your unconscious body."

Squall knew what this meant. Seifer was in debt to Squall and that means that Seifer would have to somehow repay that debt. And repaying an act of kindness is another act of kindness, towards Squall. And that is the last thing Seifer wanted to do since his whole body was aching like hell.

_…good._


	5. The Lizard Brain

There, its done. I feel happy. Sorry for not updating for so long. Bear in mind, I have school and tons of projects. That's what you get for being smart, I guess.

--------

It felt like a sin. Like the kind of sin that no one speaks of but everyone does it. But, oh boy, it felt so good.

Squall's forehead was beaded with sweat caused not by the room but by the heat emanating from Squall's very frame. Short, shallow breathes were taken from the brunette's lush lips. The an animal in heat, Squall's body jerked in almost a painful motion. But Squall was far from pain, in fact Squall is enjoying every inch of his body to the fullest extent.

His left hand moved from his tone torso down to his balls and eventually down to his pink hole. The cycle from his torso to his hole repeated itself as the right hand gripped the hardened member. The right hand moved up and down on the eight incher almost gracefully, as a pianist's fingers the keys so well. Every inch of Squall's body was explored by his hands which sent chills and ecstatic feelings through his very being.

The natural lube that Squall's member produced was not enough for him, so for a short time, Squall reached under to the canister he kept under his bed to apply some more.

Almost in no time at all, Squall was ready to begin the torment he applied to his body. Squall stopped whenever he was about to explode and delayed the inevitable. These breaks were almost painful to the member which was so eager to spill its contents. 

Stop. Go. Stop. Go. Stop.

Squall's breathing turned from short shallow breaths to moans that were almost primitive. As if his lizard brain has taken over his body and forced its will. Squall licked his lips and pictured fucking that sexy blonde he called Seifer. Zell and Irvine was right beside him servicing him in other ways. It was an all out orgy between the four of them, and that was what Squall wanted. Seifer would be so tight and hot. No has claimed his ass yet, Seifer was too dominate for anyone to do so. But Squall was up to the task. Seifer would obey Squall.

_Seifer wants to obey me. I can see it in his eyes,_ thought Squall. 

Like a volcano exploding or an epiphany hitting the ignorant, Squall exploded with a sharp violent thrust of his hips and an animal-like moan. 

_Ahhhhh…!_

White hot cum spilled upon his chest which was rising up and down. The cum mixed with some of the sweat that had accumulated on Squall's toned chest. All of it, the sweat mixed cum rolled down into the little small on the torso, that place above the stomach and below the chest. And as the chest rose up and down the mixture spilled down to the sides and threatened to stain the bed.

Squall rubbed the cum on his sides with both of his hands and recollected the mixture onto his torso again. Reaching for the side, Squall took a towell and wiped himself off. The cum soaked towel was thrown aside, probably landing on the floor or a chair.

Squall's member subsided and laid near Squall's belly button. The animal was tired. Squall got up from the bed and walked to the shower. The session equaled a workout because of the all the sweat that had poured from his body. A good shower would do the trick nicely.

----------

After the shower, Squall returned to the bed and fell fast asleep. He didn't know what Seifer had been at Squall's door and had listened to most of the session. Seifer, now sporting a giant hardon returned to his room to take care of a few things.


	6. The Morning's Meeting

Okay, here's an update. This isn't a sex scene chapter so don't get dissappointed. Its all in the great scheme of things. Thanks guys for reviewing this story. Oh yea, maybe I should do a disclaimer. That would be fitting, I guess. In the end, Enjoy the latest chapter of Orion's Belt. More to come. Thanks again.

****

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters portrayed in this story. Square has all the rights to it. I am not making a profit out of this story. This story is intended for mature audiences interested in male to male relationships. If you are offended by this, please leave. Do not e-mail me saying that you did not like the story because of the sexual/homosexual content. You have a choice. You have been warned. 

* * *

The very next day was normal. Why wouldn't it? Squall woke up refreshed as always, after his strenuous session the night before. Squall woke up before the sunrise so the world was still bathed in sweet slumber. Dressed in nothing but his boxer shorts, Squall shivered slightly at the cold air present in the room. The temperature was drastically different from when the session took place. 

As if Squall did not want to make a single sound, not that it mattered; he walked silently to the bathroom to freshen up.

The light in the bathroom violated his eyes and made him temporarily shield himself with the back of the hand. Once his eyes adjusted to the white light, Squall took a good look in the mirror. His brown hair was disheveled from the night before. The skin was still flawless, still pale, although they shone with a vibrant energy that only came with great experiences in life.

A quick splash of water did the trick to vanish the sleep that was present in Squall's eyes. A shower was not needed, he had one already. Gingerly, Squall walked into the bedroom again to dress. A leader had to wake before everyone else.

_Who fucking said that? They obviously were drunk on Malbaro Tentacles. _

Squall dressed in his usual garments. From the black leather jacket to the bondage red belts on his thigh. It was his trademark after all, that's how people knew him. _Plus, it looks good._

Pulling the curtains apart, Squall stared out into the horizon to greet the sun as it began its journey across the sky. It was apparent that the sun was lazy today, it would not rise for a couple of more moments so Squall decided to fetch some coffee. There was no use to stand here for a couple of moments like an idiot. _That would be…idiotic. _

The corridors were quiet, peaceful. Almost like a ship when the crew had long abandoned it. The sky was already beginning to grow lighter and that signaled the upcoming sunrise.

Squall did not know why he anticipated the sun every morning. It was almost a ritual practiced everyday and if it were skipped, Squall's day was not the same. He had been doing this ever since he first became a SeeD. It was probably the long road missions where the only shelter was what they had carried with them. The tents they brought with them. And it was an overwhelming joy to see the next day. Getting attacked in the middle of the night was one of Squall's worst fears. It made him feel weak and vulnerable. The night was an absence of comfort. The sun was the warmth that Squall had longed for all these years.

The Cafeteria ladies were not awake yet so Squall had to settle with the coffee machine. Although the quality was not up to par with the Cafeteria's coffee, it will do. Coffee was Coffee, right? _Not always._

The Cafeteria had a new room that was added after the defeat of Ultimica. Squall had decided to start to turn Balamb into more of a school than a military training ground. "One of the rare moments when Squall actually thought of people other than himself.", was what Quistis had joked. 

The room featured a continuous view of the eastern part of the school. This way, so that Squall could view the sunrise in a nice comfortable chair and sip his coffee. The glass stretched from one side of the room to the other without a pane to interrupt the flow. The sun was showcased in its entirety. Squall had installed a row of plush dark seats in the room. Although Squall did not choose the color scheme or the seats, he was mightly satisfied many sunrises over.

It was actually Selphie who designed the whole room and she kept away from the temptation to design it to her personality. Selphie had kept the room apt to Squall's distint persona using contrasting colors and subtleties. The plush chairs were black leather, the walls were white, the carpet was a deep red similar to the belts on Squall's thigh. And what added the spunk that made this room so unique was a whole showcase of unique weapons. The showcase included the actual gunblade that Seifer had donated to the room. Squall was too stubborn to donate his gunblade. Various weapons of power were stored in the room. 

Althought he security risk was high, none of the students dared to steal one. It was common knowledge that most of the weapons had a "soul" so to speak. The wielder had to command the respect of the weapon before the weapon were to function. _These youngsters don't have the power to command the weapons. The result would be…unpleasent._

So there was no need for a lock or an alarm. The weapons themselves carried a lock far greater than what technology can reproduce. 

Dotted in the corners and on some of the end tables were various common and exotic plants that Irvine and Quistis had excavated from the small islands on the various jungles out there. Some were dangerous, others were…indeed special. _At least they serve a purpose: oxygen._

Squall scanned the room and selected the seat in the middle. Like the commander's chair in some famed sci-fi space movie, the middle chair was always the most luxurious because Selphie thought Squall would have picked that one. It was, after all, his room. 

However, this morning, there was something strange about this room. A new addition of some sorts. _An unwelcomed addition._

Sitting in the big chair in the middle was no other but the blonde whom Squall had hated for so long and only recently had the feelings ebbed away. Seifer cocked his head and smiled at Squall like a kid who did something wrong and was proud of it.

"Get out of that chair." glared Squall.

"Why should I?" Seifer gave Squall a smirk. Seifer was obviously enjoying this too much.

"Cuz, its my fucking chair, you bastard." 

"Is your name on it? I don't see you name anywhere." Seifer begins to look, but just to mock Squall.

"Fuck you, everyone knows that that is my chair."

"Oh sure, master Squall-Balamb-Director-Leader-Guy! Of course I'll move, just for you! Look, I already warmed the seat with my ass already. Just for you, Squall!" Seifer mocked with a smile upon his face.

"Why don't you run off somewhere to play? I heard Quistis was growing lonely because her dildo broke." Squall said as he glared at Seifer.

"It's a public room." Answered Seifer. _He had a point._

"…whatever."

And Squall settled down into the warm seat and sipped his coffee trying not to glare at Seifer. Squall felt like he was being watch from the next seat where Seifer was sitting. Squall's left side burned from a mix of frustration, anger, and he was blushing. _Stop staring, you bastard._

It was almost time for the sunrise.

_For the love of Bob, thanks. Its about time._


	7. The Silience Sustained

**Update:**  I know, its been a while, I've been really busy.  My life was screwed up.  Too much emotional stress, physical stress, and social stress.  Too much stress.  And so I suspended all non-essential activities.  But it is mostly over now, and I will be addressing some of my past life's issues in future chapters of this story.  Some directly in the story while others discussed on the side.  Comments please?

It's strange.  I wanted to start this out as a Seifer x Squall fan fic, but I realized that it is not what I really wanted.  I'll change it so, it's a surprise, but you'll probably figure it out soon.

-----------__

_Sometimes, you're like the sun.  Sometimes you're there and sometimes you're not._

Squall had seen that quote engraved on a lonely monument, no doubt celebrating some past great historical figure or lore.  Although the person for whom the monument was dedicated to is lost forever to the ignorant present and same future, the quote still holds true for many things.

Maybe, all Squall really wanted was to be loved.  For some warmth in his life, like the rising sun.  The sun is the only reoccurring sign of warmth and love in Squall's life; it is cherished.  But, like the sun, sometimes its there and sometimes its not.  Sometimes the sun is shawdowed by the clouds that hang low below.  But then, how do we know the sun is still there, if it is there at all?  If we cannot see it, it does not exist, right?

Wrong.  

The sun is still there, at the same time, the same place no matter what we see.  No matter how many clouds cover it so, the sun still stands tall, still shines clear.  How do we know the sun is still there?  We don't need to, that is the point.  It is always there.  And so we should not be dictated by the presence or the absence of the sun and its appearance.  Its all in one's mind, not in reality.  Don't assume that if you cannot see something, it doesn't exist.

Squall looked thoughtfully out the window.  Why was he thinking about this?  Is this someone analyzing him?  Or is it him analyzing himself?  Extremely weird.  

"Squall, please report to Conference Room 2-B4" a female voice crackled over the announcement system.

It looks that today, Squall will not have a chance to peacefully watch his friend come out and play upon the horizon.  Squall stood up, glared at Seifer.  _Somehow, this is all your fault, bastard._

The once empty corridors were slowly being populated by the citizens of the school.  And suddenly out of nowhere, a girl runs and bumps into Squall which sends her books flying all about the corridor.  

"Sorry, sir.  I am in a rush." She hastily mumbles.

"But, it is so early in the morning." 

"Have you not heard, sir?"  She sounded surprised.

"No…"

"I am sure, you will be briefed soon.  I have to go.  Can I ask a favor?"

"Sure."

"Are you happy?" the girl said.  This question really hit home to Squall.  Instantly, Squall's eyes turned and looked deep into the girl.  What possessed her to ask such a general question?  _Was it my being, my aura that prompted that question?_

"What do you mean, miss?"

"Mean what, sir?  I was just asking for your leave." And with that, she disappeared off into the distance.

Perplexed and in thought, Squall stumbled into the conference room populated with Zell and Quistis.  They were going over a map of an uncharted piece of land, an island it seems.  With red pins pinned here and there indicating some major (or minor) event at that point.  It seemed that Quistis was the one doing the math while Zell was the one helping out with the pins and data.  _But why for?_

"You called?" Squall needed to make his presence known.  He is, of course, the director, the head cheese.

"Oh Squall.  Good of you to show you, finally.  We just found a new island!" Quistis practically screamed with excitement.

"Oh…tell me, why is this of importance?  There are many small islands everywhere."  Squall was getting impatient and angry, an interruption for _this._

"But Squall, we're getting strange readings from the island.  We suspect that this island is in someway special." Zell said, although his eyes did not meet Squall's.  _Oh, shit.  Not this again._

A history lesson, perhaps?  Squall's flight with Riona did not end so well.  _It never started well either._

Squall left Riona sometime after the defeat of Ultimecia.  The relationship just could not work out, no matter the energy put forth onto the project.  And so, Squall suffered a serious depression, a sadness that would not go away.  He withdrew himself from all of his projects.  It is not known who broke up with whom, or which side was the victim and which was the criminal.  But none of that matters now, right?  

Quistis and Zell were especially worried about Squall.  Selphie had Irvine, no worries there.  Although Selphie did make the sun room for Squall and Irvine did help make Squall a better gunblade (which is rarely used).  Quistis was not much help, but Zell was the piece that helped Squall out of his sadness.  And while through this help, Squall could not help but look at Zell in a different light.  A strange hue that could not be adjusted, no matter what.

And this put Squall in a deeper hole, an abyss of sadness.  Squall turned okay on the outside, but on the inside, the fire had died and all there is in there is an emptiness and dry kindle.  Squall had stopped speaking to Zell, so that the feelings would die also and all would be well.  Apparently, Zell was not so approving of this excommunication on Squall's part and so, the friendship died.  No doubt, the silence was the biggest mistake that Squall had ever made to keep a friendship.

_To keep something dear is to give it up.  Only then, I cannot be blamed when it dies._

And this concludes the end of the history lesson.

Squall looked at Zell from across the conference room.  His eyes grew watery.  _Come back._

And thus, the silence is continued.  And sustained.

------

Lemme analyze Squall.  Is he a:

a. anti-social little kid who is always moody and sad

b. A hero with a hidden motive

c. Secretive

d. Trusting, honest, ideal

e. A combination of everything

Of course, Squall is a combination of everything.  He is a real human being, or else I cannot write about him, right?  There is no point in placing Squall into one category.  Squall is not a category, a general census.  He has interests, lacks, flaws, hubris almost.  Remember this.


	8. What's up?

You know how sometimes people say, the only way to keep something is to throw it away?  Or some of those old wise sayings that always seem to escape our very understanding?  I had thought, these sayings made entirely no sense whatsoever.  It's not because of us not understanding it but them having to say something for the sake of it.

_It always seems that advice about love or life always comes from people who have neither._

Quistis noticed the sudden silience in the room.  She cleared her throat and continued to brief Squall about the situation.  "This island is located east of the Esthar continent.  Approximately 200 or so miles out.  The reason that no one has been able to locate this island is that it was never worthwhile to locate.  After some research, Esthar did chart the island but mainly left it alone, never stepped foot on it."

Squall snapped out of his trance and fired off a question, "Why did it become interesting now?"

"We don't know.  Thats why we want to send a team and investigate the area." Zell said, almost sounding as if he wanted to add, _"Duh, what else?"_

"Yes, a team.  Who do you think should go, Squall?" Quistis asked.

"I'll go with Zell." Squall said, indefinately.

"Protocol states that there must be at least three members." Zell said, or stated.

"You pick someone.  I'll go and pack what we'll need."  and with that, Squall left.  But as an afterthought he added, "Quistis, you're in charge of the Garden."

Squall left for the hallway and walked.  It was almost unnatural, the way he walked.  Like he was bothered by something.  Bothered by someone.  However, this was all because of a trained eye saw these signs.  No one else knew.  Only Quistis.  And she wanted to find out.

"Squall...wait up." she called after him.  The only hint that Squall had heard Quistis was that he walked a bit slower.  "What's wrong, Squall?"

"Does there have to be something wrong?"

"I see it in your eyes, Squall.  I see it in the way you walk.  I see it."

"I have to go pack." Squall walked faster.

"Squall, maybe I should go with you and Zell.  We'll solve this problem on the ride there."

"No, Quistis, you have to stay here."

"Why?"

"Because I trust you."  and with that, Squall dissappeared leaving a very confused Quistis.


	9. Kalisto's Bond

The Garden was expanded after settling it down permanently. Aside from the sun room designed for Squall it also housed a global airport. And it was here that the majestic Ragnorak was kept.

Squall stepped up to this behemoth and marveled at the elegant curves as if the eloquence of poetry manifested itself in the form of a machine. Thinking back to his schooling days Squall remembered a lesson on a group of ancient warriors who painted fierce faces on their ships in hopes of infusing their bravery into the wood that made up the ships. It seemed that the creators or the Ragnorak had the same feeling. Squall's eyes traced the lines forming the face of the Ragnorak. Determined and fierce, Squall felt respect for the ancient icon.

Unfortunately, the Garden's engineers have learned as much as they can from the Ragnorak and presently the ship is retired. On display for the younger generation. People come and visit, pointing excitedly at the ship and saying, "Leonhart flew that to the ends of the world." Without really know anything about it. Squall felt some regret for not motioning to keep the ship in the air, where it belonged. Something so beautiful should not be cooped up and be gawked over for all of eternity.

Realizing the time Squall quickly walked to his appointed aircraft. This was made from the knowledge gained from the Ragnorak. Although the technology is better than the ancient Ragnorak it lacked the soul of the old machine. This new craft was named Kalisto, meaning in an ancient tongue, "most beautiful". Squall didn't agree about it being the most beautiful craft but he had to agree that it was one of the better looking ones.

Kalisto was just as big as the Ragnorak. After viewing the sharpness of the Ragnorak Squall had to say that the Kalisto was softer and more refined. It was as if a person were trying to sculpt a woman out of metal and wires. The Kalisto stood majestically in the sun, demanding that the elements yield to her while the Ragnorak was in the museum reminiscing about old war stories.

Squall noticed two figures standing at the hatch to the Kalisto. The two figures turned out to be Zell and Seifer. Squall was surprised at the sight of Seifer and once he was in distance said, "What are you doing here, Seifer?"

"I'm coming along. Why else do you think I'm here?" Seifer answered.

"I didn't know you were part of the team that usually came to these things." Squall said, hoping that it was all a joke.

"Well, since I'm here I might as well go along." Seifer said sarcastically. And so the three of them boarded the ship in silence. Squall did not even look at Zell even if he was dying to look. With the addition of Seifer, Squall's plan of mending an old friendship was in jeopardy.

Squall, Seifer, and Zell marched up the ramp into the Kalisto's bay without another word. The door hissed and the hydraulics pulled the ramp up and secured it. The ship is almost automatic in every aspect. The three team members methodically stowed away their belongings in their respective quarters and made their way to the bridge. Zell was in front since he was the most familiar with the Kalisto. He punched the buttons expertly and soon everything was set into place and the ship glided to their destination without any noticeable vibrations everyone was so familiar with.

When everything was deemed okay Squall stood up and called the other two into the conference room. "Zell, lead us to the conference room." Squall said since he didn't know where anything was in this ship.

The Kalisto was expertly designed. The hallways were sleek and elegant. Upon touching any part of the wall a display would pop up in which Squall could perform a number of tasks. The doors hissed open expertly and closed silently. And the conference room was comfortable but maintained the formality required.

Squall stood up in front of the other two as if many were crowded into the conference room. "As I have been briefed, this island is located off the coast of Esthar. Although it is somewhat on the small side it shows weird energy fluctuations. We are going to investigate. A few theories on the energy fluctuations range from a man-made laboratory to a few dragons mating so keep on your toes. Any more questions may be answered in the official debriefing, which I have in my hands."

No one spoke. And so the three of them exited the room silently and the door was silent in return.


	10. I do

Each person had his own quarters and it was there that they chose to spend the remaining of the trip to the island. The ship glided through the air gracefully. It hummed, full of energy and intelligence but lacking life for no one in the interior wanted to speak with one another. Each one lost in his own thoughts, his own universe.

Squall was perfectly fine with this. Zell, however, was quite anxious and slowly grew insane. However, there was no one to talk to. He couldn't talk to Seifer because, well…Seifer is an asshole. And Squall…now's not the time for Squall. Devoid of anything to do Zell punched the wall in frustration. The ship rumbled, a mere annoyance over the mechanical hum of the engines. And in an instant Squall was there.

"Fight?"

"Uh…no. I was just bored." answered Zell, sheepishly. "There's nothing to do on this ship."

"I've been meaning to talk to you." Squall decided to go directly to the point.

"Uh, about what?" Zell said as he tried his best to make a nonchalant face, completely masking the relief that something is going to be solved.

"Listen. I know that we have drifted apart," Squall started and Zell tried to stifle a snort. "and I know its my fault and I wanted to apologize for it."

"Okay." Zell prompted for Squall to go on.

"It was wrong of me to push you away. Accept my apology." Squall not-so-gracefully ended.

"You know what's wrong with you, Squall?" after a bout of silence, Zell continued, "You never show your feelings. You hide. And you push others away for reading you."

"You want me to reform?" Squall said.

"No, I want you to feel. That's an apology enough."

"Hm. Zell, I felt alone when Riona left me. Or I left her, I don't even remember. Then I felt confused because I didn't care that much that she left me. Then I felt small and helpless when others tried to comfort me. And when I pushed them away I felt regretful for pushing the one person who tried the hardest. I regretted pushing you away."

A silence pervaded the space between accented only by the gentle humming of the ship.

"Wow. Squall, that was more than what I had expected." Zell was amazed that Squall opened up so quickly without a bigger struggle.

"So, do you accept my apology."

"I do, Squall. And now things are better between us." With that said, Zell closed the distance between them and gave Squall a big hug. And this is when Squall began to have those feelings which alienated him from the one person that meant the most to him.

A soft chime signaled their arrival. "I think we're here." Squall murmured and broke their embrace.


End file.
